[syn: irrepressibility, buoyancy]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Buoyancy \Buoy"an*cy\, n.; pl. Buoyancies.
1. The property of floating on the surface of a liquid, or in
a fluid, as in the atmosphere; specific lightness, which
is inversely as the weight compared with that of an equal
volume of water.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Physics) The upward pressure exerted upon a floating body
by a fluid, which is equal to the weight of the body;
hence, also, the weight of a floating body, as measured by
the volume of fluid displaced.
[1913 Webster]
Such are buoyancies or displacements of the
different classes of her majesty's ships. --Eng.
Cyc.
[1913 Webster]
3. Cheerfulness; vivacity; liveliness; sprightliness; -- the
opposite of heaviness; as, buoyancy of spirits.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
buoyancy
n 1: cheerfulness that bubbles to the surface [syn: buoyancy,
perkiness]
2: the property of something weightless and insubstantial [syn:
airiness, buoyancy]
3: the tendency to float in water or other liquid
4: irrepressible liveliness and good spirit; "I admired his
buoyancy and persistent good humor" [syn: irrepressibility,
buoyancy]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
57 Moby Thesaurus words for "buoyancy":
adaptability, airiness, ascent, bounce, bounciness, breeziness,
bubbliness, buoyance, carefreeness, chirpiness, daintiness,
debonairness, delicacy, downiness, effervescence, elasticity,
ethereality, extensibility, exuberance, flexibility, floatability,
fluffiness, foaminess, frothiness, gentleness, give, gossameriness,
jauntiness, lack of weight, levitation, levity, light heart,
lightheartedness, lightness, lightsomeness, liveliness, perkiness,
pertness, rebound, resilience, resiliency, responsiveness, snap,
softness, spring, springiness, stretch, stretchability,
stretchiness, tenderness, tone, tonicity, tonus, unheaviness,
volatility, weightlessness, yeastiness